June  13,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
497 
G.  acanthifolia. 
This  is  a  very  distinct  form,  in  the  foliage  especially,  but  the 
flowers  are  by  no  means  unattractive,  being  of  a  reddish  hue,  and 
closely  set  in  racemes  3  or  4  inches  long.  As  in  the  others,  the  styles 
are  filiform,  long,  and  pinkish,  imparting  to  the  inflorescence  something 
of  the  appearance  of  a  miniature  brush.  The  leaves  are  rigid,  firm 
in  texture,  cut  nearly  to  the  centre,  the  lower  divisions  being  also 
coarsely  toothed ;  they  are  dark  greeD,  and  in  form,  as  the  name 
implies,  very  suggestive  of  Acanthus  foliage.  It  was  found  by  Allan 
Cunningham  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  and  was  by 
him  introduced  to  England.  The  localities  it  was  chiefly  found 
in — namely,  peaty  bogs  and  the  banks  of  rivers  in  Australia, 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  it  requires  in  cultivation  a  greater 
supply  of  water  than  its  relations,  but  such  is  not  the  case,  for 
it  can  be  treated  similarly  to  those 
already  described. 
G.  rosmarlnifolia. 
Another  of  Cunningham’s  dis¬ 
coveries,  and  equally  as  attractive  as 
the  preceding.  It  is  also  additionally 
interesting  for  its  comparative  hardi¬ 
ness  in  the  southern  and  western 
portions  of  this  country.  In  some 
suitable  positions  it  succeeds  very 
well  planted  against  a  wall,  and  flowers 
freely.  It  is  also  useful  for  growing 
in  pots,  and  produces  its  dense 
racemes  of  crimson-coloured  flowers 
in  abundance.  The  plant  is  of  robust 
habit,  the  foliage  being  suggestive  of 
the  Rosemary  in  form,  as  the  specific 
name  implies,  and  very  dark  green 
in  colour. 
G.  robnsta. 
The  value  of  this  Grevillea  is  now 
thoroughly  established,  but  on  quite 
different  characters  to  the  others, 
which  are  chiefly  grown  for  their 
flowers.  As  is  now  well  known,  this 
is  principally  useful  by  reason  of  its 
neatly  divided  foliage,  quick  growth, 
and  adaptability  for  decorative  pur¬ 
poses.  It  is  also  largely  employed 
in  subtropical  bedding,  lor  which  it 
is  especially  suited,  as  a  specimen  of 
good  size  can  be  soon  obtained.  Plants 
are  chiefly  raised  from  imported  seeds 
sown  in  light  soil  in  heat  ;  and  if 
this  be  done  in  autumn,  the  plants 
being  potted  and  encouraged  to  grow 
vigorously,  specimens  a  foot  or  more 
in  height  can  be  secured  by  the 
following  spring.  It  is  worthy  of 
note  that  the  first  plant  introduced 
to  this  country  was  sent  to  Kew  by 
Allan  Cunningham,  and  for  some  time 
that  was  the  only  one  in  England. 
What  the  introducer  then  wrote  re¬ 
specting  it  is  interesting  and  worth 
quoting  :  —  “  This  noble  species  of 
Grevillea  on  the  banks  of  the  Brisbane  river  vies  in  size  and  stature 
with  the  Flindersia,  Oxleya,  and  other  large  forest  trees,  but  by  none 
is  it  surpassed  in  height  in  its  native  woods  except  by  the  Araucaria 
of  this  region.  Some  aged  trunks  of  G.  robusta  I  have  found  9  feet 
in  circumference,  so  that  it  is  probably  the  largest  tree  of  the  order 
that  has  yet  been  discovered,  surpassing  the  Knightia  of  New  Zealand 
and  the  Orites  excelsa  of  Port  Macquarrie.  From  its  deeply  dissected 
foliage  and  the  silkiness  of  the  uncer  side  it  has  obtained  the  name 
of  Silk  Oak  among  the  Pine-cutters  of  Moreton  Bay  ;  but  its  timber, 
which  is  of  a  tough  fibre,  has  not  been  appropriated  to  any  use.” 
Respecting  its  quick  growth,  in  some  of  the  colonies  wheie  it  has 
been  planted  I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  specimens  have 
attained  the  height  of  50  feet  in  ten  years. 
Of  the  numerous  other  species  known  few  are  in  cultivation,  and 
few  perhaps  possess  any  particular  value  to  horticulturists.  G.  punicea 
has  the  brightest  flowers  (deep  rtd)  of  any  known  to  me,  but  I  am 
uncertain  if  it  is  now  in  cultivation.  G.  Hilli  is  a  strong-growing 
form,  introduced  ab^ut  forty  years  ago,  and  certificated  by  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  1862.  It  is  somewhat  strange  that  of  all  the 
numerous  members  of  the  Proteactae,  such  as  Banksias  and  others, 
which  were  at  one  time  cultivated  in  large  collections,  Grevilleas  are 
now  the  only  plants  generally  represented  in  gardens. — L.  C. 
Grevillea  Thelemanniana 
Tulips  at  Cork,  Ireland. 
A  correspondent  from  the  district  where  Mr.  Wm.  Baylor 
Hartland  so  successfully  cultivates  acres  of  the  co.  Cork  soil,  and 
produces  magnificent  Irish  Tulips,  has  been  prompted  to  send  what 
he  conniders  a  list  of  the  finer  varieties.  All  of  them  are  grown  in 
Mr.  Hartland’s  nurseries  at  Ard  Cairn.  His  concise  list  includes 
Aximensis,  a  glossy  crimson  gold  Tulip  with  green  base  ;  Buonoven- 
tura,  orange  and  red  striped,  pointed  shaped  flowers  ;  Riebersteiniana, 
is  yellow  tipped  with  orange;  Billietiana  (type),  from  Savoy,  is 
well  known  as  a  lovely  yellow  and  gold;  while  B.  Sunset  (as  grown 
at  Kew  Gardens)  is  a  pretty  dwarf  variety,  and  received  an 
award  of  merit  at  the  Temple  Show. 
T.  Billietiana  Cloth  of  Gold  has  more 
of  yellow  than  the  preceding.  Didiera 
(type)  is  very  brilliant,  with  dark 
central  blotch  ;  Maiden’s  Blush  or 
Picotee,  with  waxy  white  petals,  faintly 
edged  with  bright  pink,  is  exceed¬ 
ingly  beautiful  and  popular  ;  elegans 
alba  is  satiny  white  with  more  nar¬ 
rowly  edged  petals. 
Another  distinct  Tulip  is  elegans 
maxima  lutea.  This  has  the  colour 
of  Eschscholtzia  californica  with  stiff 
pointed  petals.  Tulipa  elegans  lutea, 
the  Leghorn  Bonnet,  is  glistening 
satiny  yellow,  and  very  beautiful; 
Tulipa  flava  is  a  well  known  late 
Dutch  yellow,  and  was  for  a  time  in 
confusion  ;  Gesneriana  alba,  white 
with  rich  magenta  e  ge,  is  sometimes 
confused  with  Narbonensis  alba. 
Amongst  other  vigorous  and  re¬ 
liable,  as  well  as  beautiful,  varieties 
of  May-flowering  Tulips  at  Ard  Cairn 
were — Bouton  d’Or,  of  a  buttercup 
colour,  with  dark  anthers  ;  best  of  its 
class.  The  variety  named  John  Ruskin 
cannot  be  described,  there  is  so  much 
of  Turner  and  Ruskin  in  it.  The 
Lizard  is  a  beautiful  blended  flower 
of  Fairy  Queen  type  ;  while  Nigrette 
is  grotesque  as  a  black  Tulip,  and  is 
exemplary  of  how  the  black  and 
white  race  are  brought  together.  The 
name  of  Gipsy  Queen  wa3  accorded 
to  the  noble  Tulip  of  this  name  on 
account  of  the  bronzy  shade,  the 
copper  colour  of  the  ancient  Americans. 
La  Perle  comes  from  The  Fawn  ;  it 
would  be  hard  to  judge  only  for  their 
break. 
Bouquet  Rigaut  furnishes  a  fine, 
stiff,  well  set  up  flower  that  requires 
sunshine  to  get  it  out;  the  colour  of 
The  Fawn  describes  itself.  Ixioides 
has  a  sp'endid  black  base  and  yellow 
petals ;  neglecta  picta,  yellow  and 
bronze  shades,  lovely  tints  with  dark 
centres  ;  Parisian  Yellow,  yellow  with  pointed  petals  ;  spathulata,  the 
old  Dutch  Gesneriana  type,  corrected  by  Mr.  Baker  of  Kew  as  spathu¬ 
lata;  spathulata  aurantiaca,  brilliant  orange  red,  with  rich  ceutre  of  old 
gold;  spathulata  aurantiaca  striata,  feathered  and  striped  with  gold  ; 
spathulata  aurantiaca  maculata,  rich  orange,  with  a  dark  base,  very 
beautiful;  and  spithulata  Bronze  Queen,  rich  bronze  in  full  sun,  and 
is  unique.  The  three  Tulips  named — 1,  Shandon  Bells;  2,  York  and 
Lancaster  ;  and  3,  Silver  Queen  —  have  been  in  confusion  by  the 
Dutch  for  years,  yet  they  have  quite  distinct,  goblet-sbaped  blooms  of 
the  highest  merit.  Othello  is  a  velvety  crimson  resembling  Bouton 
d’Or,  of  good  shape,  and  is  a  fine  show  flower  ;  Summer  Beauty,  a 
very  beautiful  lilac  rose  streaked  with  magenta,  flower  impossible  to 
c  >rrecily  describe  ;  and  last  of  all  comes  Snowdon,  a  pure  white  bloom, 
globular  shape,  becoming  pink  as  it  dies  off. 
Figs  Growing  In  the  City. — In  the  courtyard  of  the  Aldgate 
Ward  Schools  in  the  City  of  London  there  is  to  be  seen  at  the  present 
time  a  beautiful  Fig  tree  in  full  leaf,  with  at  least  twenty-five  good 
sized  Figs  developing  upon  it.  The  tree  is  believed  to  be  a  relic  of  the 
old  abbey  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  which  existed  for  a  good  many  centuries. 
The  abbey  was  abolished  by  Henry  VIII. 
